Hometown Heroes

Hometown Hero: Emily Sutton

by Jordan Beyle | August 3, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Emily Sutton. Sutton is the executive director and river keeper of the Haw River Assembly, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore and protect the Haw River, Jordan Lake, and the entire...

Hometown Hero: Mike Naglich

by Jordan Beyle | July 27, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Mike Naglich. Naglich is a retired nurse with a long career of heroic efforts around the world and his latest is a trip to Ukraine to deliver supplies for residents in the war zone. He's making...

Hometown Heroes: Todd LoFrese, TJ Laughrey, Andy Olson, and Jim Ray

by Jordan Beyle | July 20, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Heroes, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, are Todd LoFrese, TJ Laughrey, Andy Olson and Jim Ray. They've spent the last few weeks biking across the country to raise awareness and money for the Be Loud Sophie Foundation in Chapel Hill....

Hometown Hero: Jennie Knowlton

by Jordan Beyle | July 13, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Jennie Knowlton. Knowlton is the founder of the Quilt Maker Cafe in Pittsboro. They first launched in 2021 as a mobile restaurant, but they just opened their first permanent location in May. The...

Hometown Hero: Andrew Taylor-Troutman

by Jordan Beyle | July 6, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Andrew Taylor-Troutman. Taylor-Troutman is the author of "Little Big Moments" on Chapelboro.com and the pastor at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church. They've teamed up with a national...

Hometown Hero: Charles DeBose

by Jordan Beyle | June 29, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Charles DeBose. DeBose's work supports not just one nonprofit but many. He serves as the director of operations for the Extraordinary Thrift Store where he does many different things. He also works...

Hometown Hero: Amy Slaughter

by Jordan Beyle | June 22, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Amy Slaughter. Slaughter is a realtor who works with the nonprofit Community Home Trust. Slaughter completes the home buying transaction, making sure the buyers are able to work with their...

Hometown Hero: Mary Lucas

by Jordan Beyle | June 15, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Mary Lucas. Mary Lucas is the founder of Long Leaf Animal Rescue in Hillsborough. After less than a year in operation, Long Leaf already has dozens of volunteers and and foster families rescuing...

Hometown Hero: Melissa Driver Beard

by Jordan Beyle | June 8, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Melissa Driver Beard. Driver Beard is the executive director of the CORA Food Pantry. They have been fighting hunger and food insecurity in Chatham County for years. CORA Food Pantry now has two...

Hometown Hero: Suzanne Tormollen

by Jordan Beyle | June 1, 2026 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by the O. Max Gardner Foundation, is Suzanne Tormollen. Tormollen is the director of marketing at TABLE, a beloved local nonprofit helping kids with food insecurity in Chapel Hill and Carrboro since 2008. Tormollen has been with...

Hometown Hero: Gene Medler

by Jordan Beyle | Apr 22, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Gene Medler. Medler is the founder of NCYTE, a tap dance ensemble that is one of the most beloved in the country. After learning tap dance for an acting role after college, Medler fell in love with the...

Hometown Hero: Godi Godar

by Jordan Beyle | Apr 15, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Godi Godar! Godar is the founder of Go Conscious Earth, a local organization with a global impact working to support climate stability. Originally born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Godar now resides in Durham.

Hometown Hero: Natalie Beisser, Lula Caress, Abigail & Zoe Falk

by Staff | Apr 8, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

Natalie Beisser of Carrboro High School, Lula Caress of Chapel Hill High School, and Abigail & Zoe Falk of East Chapel Hill High are all part of Project Graduation, a drug and alcohol free celebration for graduating seniors!

Hometown Hero: Ellie and Ila Lanigan

by Staff | Apr 1, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 1 Comment

This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, features Ellie and Ila Lanigan! This week, we're honoring Ellie and Ila for their volunteering efforts with Orange County Special Olympics, community service, and enthusiastic involvement in making...

Hometown Hero: Lindsay White and Mone’t Peaks

by Staff | Mar 25, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Lindsay White and Mone’t Peaks! This week, we're honoring two students from East Chapel Hill High who have been working to continue the incredible philanthropic legacy of Kristian Monet Richardson,...

Hometown Hero: Nehemiah Stewart

by Staff | Mar 18, 2024 | Hometown Heroes, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Nehemiah Stewart! Stewart is a tech entrepreneur and nonprofit founder currently pursuing his PhD in neuroscience at UNC. His nonprofit, Level The Playing Field, works to remove systemic barrier...

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